Happy Dance - Fox

Started: 1/27/2016

Finished: 1/28/2016

Cross Stitch Crazy (issue unknown)

It's stitched on 14-count white Aida with the called for DMC.  I have all of the DMC colors which is a good thing, because I hadn't used these colors in quite a while.

The picture showed five leaves on the branch, but the chart only had the leaf at the top so I stitched the additional leaves using the picture.

I've stitched quite a few quilt squares for charity over the years and Kyleigh asked if I'd make a quilt for her.  I've gradually been completing the squares, but hadn't stitched any recently.  Earlier this week she told a friend that I was stitching her a quilt and asked when it would be finished so I decided to try to stitch a square a month this year.  The fabric is only 6x6" so it should be doable.

I chose this square because she loves the song "What Does the Fox Say?"

WIWO - 1/25/2016

I've mentioned that I've joined several SALs this year.  This week I worked on two of them.  First I finished the January portion (London) of the Pumpkin Passport from The Frosted Pumpkin.  It went from here

to here.

 It's being stitched on a piece of blue hand dyed 28-count Jobelan from my stash.  I don't know the actual color because there was no tag on it.  I'm also using the called for threads.

I also started and finished the January portion (Venice) of Postcards from the World from Clouds Factory.  I'm using a 16-count Aida in Haven from Picture This Plus.  I'm also using the called for threads, except that the frame is supposed to be white, but I'm stitching it in 797 to make it stand out more.

WIWO - 1/18/2016

The first stitching I did this week was on "Deck the Halls".  I got to from here

 to here after four days of stitching. As you can see, I didn't get a lot accomplished. 

 

I don't know if it was the fabric or the pattern, but I decided I was frogging way too much and no longer enjoying the journey so I trashed it before I completely lost my mojo.

I then replaced it with "Away in a Manger" (see my Happy Dance post on 1/17.)

I've joined two annual mystery SALs this year, one from Clouds Factory and one from Frosted Pumpkin.  Both have the same theme:  international travel.  I haven't been able to print the chart for the Clouds Factory SAL, but I did start the Pumpkin Passport yesterday.

I changed the fabric which was a brownish gray Aida for this hand dyed blue 28-count Jobelan.  It was a very old piece from my stash so I don't remember the color.

Happy Dance - Away in a Manger

Started: 1/16/2016

Finished: 1/17/2016

Quick and Easy Cross Stitch (issue unknown)

This replaces the "Deck the Halls" ornament I was stitching for the Christmas Ornie SAL's January theme of music. 

It's stitched on 18-count white Aida with the called for DMC and Kreinik #4 gold braid.

It will probably be my granddaughter's Christmas ornament for 2016.

There are two more designs in this series and at some point I'd like to do them both.

WIWO - 1/11/2016

Another SAL that I've joined is the Christmas Ornie SAL where they give us a theme for each month's ornament.  This month's theme is Music.  I had a hard time finding an appropriate chart , but finally came across this one.  There's a companion piece with Silent Night which I might stitch up later also.

It's being stitched on 20-count Silver flecked white Lugana with the called for DMC and gold Kreinik.  I know there's a dark brown thread showing through, but it will be used to finish the "D" the next time I stitch on this.

Happy Dance - Katie Kitty

Started: 1/6/2016

Finished: 1/9/2016

Brooke's Books - Advent Animals

This year I've decided to participate in a few SAL's, the first one being a Brooke's Books SAL on the Stitch Maynia Facebook group.  This is an annual SAL where you stitch  any Brooke's Books chart including any of her freebies each month.  Since I've been collecting these free charts for awhile, I decided to stitch them for the SAL.

The chart was stitched on 14-count Lt. Blue Aida with the called for DMC floss.  The only real changes I made were to do the border in two strands of floss and most of the backstitching became straight stitches.  

While I originally planned to stitch these on one piece of Aida, I've decided to stitch them individually, finish them as little pillows and display them in a basket.

Happy Birthday and Happy Dance (Twinkly Fairy)

First off, Happy Birthday to me!  I am 66 years old today and it's been a very quiet, gray, rainy day.  We celebrated on Monday with dinner at Red Lobster. Since Devin's birthday was on Sunday, we try to pick a day between the two birthdays.

Originally Started:  Unknown

Restarted: 1/3/2016

Finished: 1/6/2016

Cross Stitch Crazy (issue unknown)

 

This was stitched on white 14-count Aida with DMC floss.  The backstitching does not match the pattern much, especially around the hearts which I outlined with the same floss as the rest of the backstitching instead of following the chart which used two different colors and not only outlined the hearts, but had stitching on the interior of the hearts as well.

I had originally started this for Love Quilts a long time ago, but never finished it because the backstitching is very fiddly and I got frustrated with it. When Quilts for Older Children and Adults came up with the same theme, I decided to pull it out and see if I could finish it for them.

WIWO - 1/4/2016

I was gone most of the past week so I did no stitching until we returned on January 2nd.  After finishing the Paisley Tree I started the previous week, I picked up an old UFO. 

Before:

Today:

This is a Twinkly Fairy from an old Cross Stitch Crazy magazine.  I had originally started stitching this for Love Quilts, but got frustrated with the backstitching and set it aside.  Quilts for Older Children and Adults is currently having a fairy stitchalong for Love Quilts Brazil so I decided to pull it out and try to finish it this time.

Happy Dance - Paisley Tree

Started: 12/26/2015

Finished: 1/3/2016

Mill Hill Paisley Tree

This was stitched with the materials provided in the kit, but I used two strands or the cross stitching instead of the three called for.  

 

It came with a magnet, but I added a hanger of leftover beads and it's ready to hang on next year's Christmas tree.